A new service which helps ambulance workers get back to work after suffering back and shoulder injuries has been successfully trialled in the North East.

Musculoskeletal disorders - known as MSDs - are an occupational hazard for British ambulance staff due to the amount of lifting involved with the job. With MSD's being one of the main causes of work-related absence, NEAS were keen to minimise their impact on the service.

After rigorously investigating the options available, NEAS decided to launch a pilot scheme with Physio Med, one of the UK's leading physiotherapy solution providers to speed up employees' access to treatment.

Physio Med provided NEAS with timely access to its managed network of senior Chartered Physiotherapists, helping Ambulance Service workers to reduce their pain levels, facilitate a quicker return to work and increase their productivity.

The majority of the referred employees received an appointment within just 24 hours and, in just seven months, NEAS saw a significant reduction in long term sickness absence due to MSD, saving potentially hundreds of lost working days. 83% of employees who were off sick at the point of referral have returned to work and there was a 42% increase in recorded productivity in those that received treatment.

Elma Alexander, Head of Human Resources at NEAS, said: "Our operational staff do a very physically demanding job and as a result we have a high level of reported musculoskeletal injuries causing staff to be absent from work.

"The demand meant that employees were waiting for up to three weeks for an appointment with our in-house physiotherapist, which clearly impacted on our service. Working with Physio Med gave our employees much faster access to physiotherapy treatment which in turn has seen us vastly improve our levels of long term sickness absence.

"As well as helping our employees recover more quickly and safely from these injuries and conditions, we hope it will also help us make longer term cost savings."

Mark Fletcher, Clinical Director at Physio Med, said: "Medical evidence shows that physiotherapy is the most effective intervention in the first eight weeks of a musculoskeletal injury. By ensuring that Ambulance Service employees receive treatment as quickly as possible we can help to reduce employee discomfort and pain levels, facilitate an early return to work and, just as importantly, reduce the risk of further absence due to recurrence of MSD."

The on-going pilot, launched earlier this year initially focussed on the South of Tyne region, before being rolled out to 500 Patient Transport Service (PTS) employees. NEAS employees who reported an injury or condition to their manager or Occupational Health department were contacted by Physio Med and given an appointment with a senior Chartered Physiotherapist within 24 hours.

Over a seven month period a total of 86 cases were referred to Physio Med by NEAS, with 77 per cent of these reported as work related or work aggravated conditions. 66 per cent of the injuries or conditions related to lower or middle back pain and a further nine per cent reported shoulder injuries.

Employees who were referred for face-to-face treatment received an average of six sessions before being discharged.